Pentagon Issues New Sweeping Order Amid Trump Admin Crackdown on DEI
By Gabe Whisnant
The Pentagon has issued its most sweeping directive yet in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's ongoing campaign to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) content from the U.S. military.
In a memo distributed Friday, military leaders and commands were ordered to review and pull all library books related to diversity, anti-racism, and gender issues by May 21. The directive characterizes such materials as "promoting divisive concepts and gender ideology," which it says are incompatible with the Department of Defense's core mission.
When reached for comment, a Pentagon spokesperson referred Newsweek to the memo.
Trump and Hegseth
President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Washington, as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth looks on. Associated Press
Context
Since President Donald Trump returned to office, federal agencies have executed a sweeping rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) content across military and government platforms.
In resistance to DEI initiatives, the Trump administration has targeted programs and notably deleted thousands of pages on government websites highlighting the service of women, LGBTQ+ people and those of color.
The deletions even temporarily included a page from MLB legend Jackie Robinson's service record from the Pentagon's website.
The Pentagon's move comes on the heels of a purge last month at the U.S. Naval Academy, where nearly 400 books were pulled from its library. Similar efforts to filter library content have since expanded to the Army and Air Force academies.
It also follows the firing of the first woman congressional librarian, Dr. Carla Hayden, after nearly a decade in the position. She was also the first Black person to hold the Senate-confirmed post.
Notably this week, Hegseth directed the Pentagon to begin discharging transgender service members who do not voluntarily exit by June 6, according to an internal memo obtained by Reuters.
What to Know About the Pentagon Memo
The Pentagon memo, signed by Timothy Dill, the acting undersecretary for personnel, follows recent book removals from military academies and significantly broadens the effort. It directs all commands to promptly identify and sequester materials that fall under a sweeping list of flagged topics, including affirmative action, critical race theory, gender identity, and white privilege.
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A temporary Academic Libraries Committee will oversee the process and has already provided a list of search terms to guide the initial identification. While the memo states that further guidance will follow by May 21, it does not clarify the final disposition of the removed books, leaving unanswered whether they will be stored or destroyed.
Hegseth Directs Service Academies to Enforce Merit-Based Admissions
In a separate memo also issued Friday, Hegseth directed military academies to strictly enforce merit-based admissions, explicitly prohibiting consideration of race, ethnicity, or sex. He emphasized the word "no" in the directive, while permitting exceptions for candidates with exceptional athletic talent, prior military service, or those from preparatory programs. Service secretaries are required to certify compliance within 30 days, and admissions offices must rank students by "merit-based scores" within nomination categories such as children of service members or nominees from members of Congress.
What People Are Saying
Democrat Amy McGrath of Kentucky, a former Marine pilot and U.S. Senate candidate, posted on X, formerly Twitter, "Toni Morrison and Alice Walker's books and essays are banned now at West Point. What are we doing here? Disappointing for these Institutions that are supposed to develop courageous and thoughtful military leaders."
Friday's Pentagon memo states, "The Secretary has been clear: We are building a colorblind, merit-based culture that promotes and rewards individual initiative, excellence, and hard work."
What's Next
The dual memos mark a dramatic reshaping of educational and admissions standards within the military, reflecting Hegseth's stated goal to root out what he views as ideological influence from the armed forces' academic and recruitment processes.
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